Minister promises $14M more for corrections after union complains about overcrowding

Manitoba’s justice minister has promised more resources after the union for corrections officers said Friday inmate overcrowding and chronic short staffing is putting lives at risk.

“Help’s on the way, our government has focused on hiring up as many new corrections officers as we can and we want to continue to build on that work,” Matt Wiebe told reporters.

Wiebe revealed the province will spend an additional $14 million on corrections in the 2026-27 budget, which is to be unveiled next week.

On Friday, the union released the results of a survey of corrections officers and other jail staff that suggests there’s widespread discontent and concern about inmate overcrowding and short staffing.

“When I talk to the workers, they … tell us the jails are bursting at the (seams), they’re triple-bunked, they often have mattresses on the floor… they’re laying on the floor at night,” said Manitoba Government and General Employees’ Union president Kyle Ross.

“When I talk to the workers out at Headingley (jail), they… (say) we’ve never seen this many inmates in our facility. And security measures have changed, but they’re concerned that this could get worse.”

Nearly 80 per cent of the respondents said overcrowding is the major factor for increased incidents of fights, assaults and disturbances. Ninety per cent said overcroding plays a role in unsafe situations in the jails.

“When you put more people in and have less programming, less opportunities for recreation, all these things, the temperature rises within the facility,” said Ross.

The survey, which was sent by email in February, was filled out by 469 individuals. Sixty per cent said they’ve considered leaving the job as a result of stress in the past year.

Ross said staffing levels have remained “virtually unchanged” in the last five years, while the number of inmates has jumped.

Corrections officers are working excessive overtime as a result, said Ross.

The province spent just over $271 million on corrections in 2025-26 and about $240 million in 2024-25.

The government has hired 150 staff in the department since the New Democrats came to power and offered a financial incentive for corrections training, said Wiebe.

“We know that’s going to start to make a difference,” Wiebe said. “We’re also making changes within the system.”

Wiebe said rather than continuing to hire corrections officers as part-timers at first, as the province has long done, the government is starting a pilot in which some will be hired full time.

He said it’s difficult to recruit staff across the justice system. “We’re trying to send the message… this is good work, it’s important work, it’s work that makes a difference to keep our communities safer.”

Figures obtained by the union show that as of August 2025, Manitoba was short 50 corrections officers in adult jails and 22 juvenile counsellors at the Manitoba Youth Centre.

The average number of inmates in the adult jails — Headingley, Milner Ridge, Brandon, The Pas, the Winnipeg Remand Centre and the women’s jail — was 2,500 in late 2025 and early 2026, compared with around 1,700 in 2021.

Currently, 75 per cent of the inmates are on remand awaiting trial.

Ross said the recent focus by the federal and provincial governments and law enforcement on bail violators is only going to increase the number of inmates in provincial jail.

Wiebe said the crackdown will not be scaled back by jail capacity concerns.

The union supports the planned Dauphin Centre for Justice, which will include about 100 jail beds and house various justice department services when it opens. No date for its opening has been set.

The NDP announced the centre to replace the Dauphin jail that was closed in 2020 by the former Progressive Conservative government of Brian Pallister. His government also closed the Agassiz youth jail in Portage la Prairie in 2022.

The Dauphin project is in the early stages of planning and a government spokesperson said the construction timeline is expected by the fall. Ross said corrections staff need short-term solutions such as increasing recruitment efforts and finding more space for inmates.

“We believe there needs to be more space,” said Ross. “Whether that means a new jail or expansions at the existing jails, that’s up to government… We’re advocating for more space to ensure our workers are safe and ensure the inmates are safe.”

Wiebe said the government is “looking at other options” and is trying to maximize the space available in its jails.

Further, he said he believes government efforts to lower the crime rate in the long term will eventually lessen the strain on jails, with fewer people locked up.

The union represents about 1,700 corrections workers, about 1,500 of whom are corrections officers. Others include juvenile counsellors, trades workers, health-care staff, chaplains and spiritual advisers.

erik.pindera@freepress.mb.ca